Welcome to this weeks spec. This is where we pick the winners each week we (or shall I say myself) think will be spec worthy, a great read or just cool looking art on the cover.
Marvel Picks
Black Widow #12 gives I think a few villain firsts (if I’m recalling correctly what I’ve read online rumors) while also having a pretty slick Hughes regular cover. He’s been knocking these out of the ballpark if you ask me. Villain firsts don’t have as much staying power as heroes so always proceed with caution, normally just quick flips and if the villain proves worthy over time, they appreciate then.
Black Widow #12 (Jusko Marvel Masterpieces Variant)
Inferno #2 (of 4) has a new Opena cover for the regular cover. I love Opena’s work and this one is top notch. I wasn’t planning on picking these up (read it later on the MU app) but I’m probably gonna end up picking up this cover.
Kang The Conqueror #2 gives us a new 2nd Ptg by Carlos Magno, which I believe is from the interiors (I’m behind my readings of this one which is still on the to read list). I really like the action covers instead of the posing for the camera type covers.
My bias pick because it’s one of my all time favorite characters goes to Moon Knight #4. It’s another awesome McNiven cover as well.
Moon Knight #4 (Cassara Stormbreakers Variant)
Moon Knight #4 Gabriele Del’Otto Variant
The Star Wars picks:
Star Wars Darth Vader #17 Wobh
Star Wars Darth Vader #17 (Kuder Carbonite Variant) Wobh
Star Wars Darth Vader #17 (Frenz Handbook Variant) Wobh
Star Wars Darth Vader #17 (Sprouse Lucasfilm 50th Variant) Wobh
Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Ig-88 #1
Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Ig-88 #1 (Asrar Carbonite Variant)
Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Ig-88 #1 (Frenz Handbook Variant)
Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Ig-88 #1 (Wijngaard Variant)
Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Ig-88 #1 Ray-Anthony Height Variant
DC Picks
Batman Fortnite Foundation #1 is a new one-shot Fortnite code redemption title that some are already listing upwards of $15 on the secondary. Might not be a bad pickup, just to sell it for the code redemption. Already sold out at TFAW but still available at Midtown (and likely others but I can’t be bothered in checking them all, that’d be a full time job).
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) might be a fun read. Lots of covers and variants for this event.
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Cover B – Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant)
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Cover C – Team Ejikure Glow in the Dark Card Stock Variant)
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Yoshitaka Amano TFAW Exclusive Variant)
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Yoshitaka Amano TFAW Exclusive Variant) CBCS 9.8 Blue Label
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Cover D – 1:25 Jorge Molina Card Stock Variant)
DC vs Vampires #1 (of 12) (Cover E – 1:100 Daniel Warren Johnson Card Stock Variant)
I’m a huge Hotz fan so Task Force Z #1 (Cover E – 1:50 Kyle Hotz Arkham Knight Color Card Stock Variant) is gonna make this list because well, it’s just a really cool cover I think. There’s also a monochrome 1:100 variant of this one.
Indie and Small Publisher Picks
Star Wars High Republic Adv Monster Temple Peak #3 (of 4)
King Spawn #3 (Cover A – Glapion) is a cool cover I think. I don’t even buy Spawn myself normally but this tempts me just for the cover. There is also the Barends Variant most will be seeking out.. Available at Midtown 1 per..
The spinoff title Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 could be a good pickup, maybe for the read but since Killadelphia had news of recent media option/deal, maybe 1 or 2 copies for the just in case long term potential. It’s cheap gambling and you still can read it to get your money’s worth.
Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 (Cover C – Mattina)
Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 (Cover D – Reynolds)
Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 (Cover E – Blank Cover)
Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 (Tyler Crook TFAW Exclusive Variant)
Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 (Tyler Crook TFAW Exclusive Variant) CBCS 9.8 Blue Label
Basilisk #1, #2 and then issue #3 have some pretty cool 3rd and 2nd prints theme going on.
Cross to Bear #1 has been on my list of check out books since previews. Love a good murder mystery and have alway enjoyed Jack the Ripper type stories.
Deadbox #1 (2nd Ptg) gets a second printing. I think I pre-ordered this to read and if I have, has not arrived yet. Anyone read this yet? If so, any good?
I think we can partly blame BOOM! for the current paper shortage with their marketing shenanigans in getting you nerds to buy more copies of their books than you really need to. So with that, we finally got the SIKTC spin-off story title House of Slaughter #1 and it’s bazillion covers (linking to the ones still in stock at TFAW) and massive print run likely due to people chasing the ratios. I’m gonna go ahead and link and list the 2nd prints too, since you know.. BOOM! says we demanded these…
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover B – Dell Edera)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover C – Shehan Foil Intermix Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover D – Blank Sketch Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover E – 25 Copy Dell Edera Foil Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover G – 100 Copy Frison Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover H – 200 Copy Frison Foil Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (Cover I – 500 Copy Del Mundo Variant)
LCSD 2021 House of Slaughter #1 (2nd Ptg Card Stock Variant)
House of Slaughter #1 (2nd Ptg Cover A – Mercado)
House of Slaughter #1 (2nd Ptg Cover B – Mercado Foil)
Phantom Starkiller #1 (4th Ptg Glow in the Dark Cover) is out and as it might not see the same success when the first prints and variants hit the store shelves, it’s still a cool cover for you glow in the dark fans.
Swamp Dogs #1 (Cover A – Sammelin) is a new Scout title I got an advanced preview of but have yet to read. Hopefully I find a spare few moments to read so I can report back before Wednesday if it’s worthy or not, but until then, it made the list of the possibility it’s a good read or spec, etc.
TFAW has some exclusives for this one.. I guess they saw the potential in the title.
Swamp Dogs #1 (Casey Parsons TFAW Exclusive Variant)
Swamp Dogs #1 (Casey Parsons TFAW Exclusive Variant) CBCS 9.8 Blue Label
Also I don’t normally link to toys but saw these that are supposedly hitting shelves this week (or might already be available):
Marvels Spider-Man Miles Morales Miles Morales Sixth Scale Figure
And for you Mandalorian Fans:
Star Wars The Mandalorian Death Watch Mandalorian Sixth Scale Figure
How is it that I have Nita Hawes Nightmare Blog #1 in hand from when I picked them up last week if it is out this week?
IDK.. I’m seeing this listed at Midtown (and a few other online retailers) for this week, not last week.
I work in a comic shop and can confirm that both Spawn #3 and Nightmare Blog #1 both were released last week.
Maybe Diamond screwed up and some shops got them early since Midtown and TFAW both have them listed as out this week. Hmmm…
And Gun Slinger Spawn was out last week.
Because you’re comic shop broke the rules and should be reported. An email was sent out to not sell Image books until this week. By doing that, your shop stole sales from other shops that did follow the rules.
I was told by my LCS that because not all shops rec’d the Image titles last week that the ones who did were told to wait a week before selling them. But apparently not every shop got the memo or some just ignored it. My LCS wouldn’t sell them but my backup LCS was selling them.
UPDATED
Shipping Alert for
Image Comics Product on Sale
October 20
Dear Diamond Customer:
Earlier this week you were notified about how printer shipping delays have impacted Image Comics titles carrying an on-sale date of October 20.
In response to retailer feedback, please note that the following books that you might have partially received in your October 20 on-sale shipments will now be formally releasing on October 27.
If you received copies, you are instructed to hold those books for the new October 27 on-sale date.
Item Code Description
JUN210035 ANT #1 CVR A LARSEN
JUN210036 ANT #1 CVR B LARSEN
JUN210037 ANT #1 CVR C LARSEN
JUN210038 ANT #1 CVR D LARSEN
JUN210039 ANT #1 CVR E RETRO TRADE DRESS
JUN210040 ANT #1 CVR F RETRO TRADE DRESS
JUN210041 ANT #1 CVR G RETRO TRADE DRESS
JUN210042 ANT #1 CVR H RETRO TRADE DRESS
AUG210013 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR A BOOTH
AUG210014 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR B MCFARLANE
JUL219298 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR C ALEXANDER
JUL219299 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR D CAPULLO
JUL219300 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR E KIRKMAN
JUL219301 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR F REVOLVER
JUL219302 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR G BOOTH CONNECTING
JUL219303 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR H 50 COPY INCV CAPULLO SKETCH CVR
JUL219304 GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 CVR I 250 COPY INCV MCFARLANE SIGNED
AUG218313 KING SPAWN #1 2ND PTG
AUG210246 KING SPAWN #3 CVR A GLAPION
AUG210247 KING SPAWN #3 CVR B MCFARLANE
JUL218922 KING SPAWN #3 CVR C FERNANDEZ
JUL218923 KING SPAWN #3 CVR D BARENDS
AUG210034 NITA HAWES NIGHTMARE BLOG #1 CVR A WELL-BEE (MR)
AUG210035 NITA HAWES NIGHTMARE BLOG #1 CVR B ALEXANDER (MR)
AUG210036 NITA HAWES NIGHTMARE BLOG #1 CVR C MATTINA (MR)
AUG210037 NITA HAWES NIGHTMARE BLOG #1 CVR D REYNOLDS (MR)
JUL219530 NITA HAWES NIGHTMARE BLOG #1 CVR E BLANK CVR (MR)
Along with the above titles, the following October 20 titles will now arrive in stores with product on sale October 27:
Item Code Description
JUL210210 A MAN AMONG YE #7 CVR A GEORGE & KALISZ
JUL210211 A MAN AMONG YE #7 CVR B RIDDEL
AUG210240 JUPITERS LEGACY REQUIEM #5 (OF 12) CVR A EDWARDS (MR)
AUG210241 JUPITERS LEGACY REQUIEM #5 (OF 12) CVR B MAGUIRE (MR)
AUG210242 JUPITERS LEGACY REQUIEM #5 (OF 12) CVR C MAGUIRE B&W (MR)
AUG210243 JUPITERS LEGACY REQUIEM #5 (OF 12) CVR D NETFLIX PHOTO CVR (MR)
AUG218388 PRIMORDIAL #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG (MR)
AUG210259 SECOND CHANCES #3 (MR)
AUG210265 ST MERCY #3 (OF 4)
AUG210267 THAT TEXAS BLOOD #11 (MR)
AUG210268 TIME BEFORE TIME #6 CVR A SHALVEY (MR)
AUG210269 TIME BEFORE TIME #6 CVR B OSULLIVAN (MR)
AUG210270 TIME BEFORE TIME #6 CVR C 20 COPY INCV DEL MUNDO (MR)
AUG210274 VINYL #5 (OF 6) (MR)
AUG210054 WALKING DEAD DLX #25 CVR A FINCH & MCCAIG (MR)
AUG210055 WALKING DEAD DLX #25 CVR B ADLARD & MCCAIG (MR)
AUG210056 WALKING DEAD DLX #25 CVR C ADLARD (MR)
JUL219584 WALKING DEAD DLX #25 CVR D TEDESCO (MR)
JUL219585 WALKING DEAD DLX #25 CVR E BRESSAN & LUCAS (MR)